Virginia Woolf states that a "woman must have money and privacy in order to write" (viii). In some ways I see her point, but overall I disagree with this thesis.
She talks about some female writers such as Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters. Jane Austen did not have money and Woolf writes that she did not have privacy either, and probably wrote in a common room with people around. Yet she wrote and (in my opinion) was an amazing author. Yes, it might help focus a writer if they are in a room of their own and the money can seem necessary to have the resources to write. But, if the writer is talented their writing will show that however they go about writing. I think that the writers themselves, what they have to offer, and their writing ability is what distinguishes good from great writers. If the author is truly inspired and loves writing then they will find a way to write even if they do not have money.
W h a t a r e t h e o p t i o n s f o r a w r i t e r w i t h n o m o n e y o r a r o o m o f t h e i r o w n ?
I think that finding a quiet or inspiring place to read and write outside in nature could be almost more conducive to writing then being in a room alone. By not being in solitude, the writer can draw inspiration from nature or the people around them; being in a room alone the writer only has themselves, that may work for some but it could also just be lonely.
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2 comments:
I totally agree that finding a place in nature is likely to be more conducive to good writind than the confinement of a room. That is why I think Virginia Woolf may have ment this idea of "a room of one's own" to mean something more figuritively. Maybe it is not a room in the sense that most of us think it is. Maybe it is more a place in the world that offers peace and comfort; a tiny corner of the world where the writer can claim happiness and freedom of mind.
In addition, you state that Jane Austen did not need money or a room of her own to produce amazing writings. This may be true, but she did have something that so few women (especially during this time) have. She had a husband who embraced her in every way, therefore, permitting her to grow in ways that many women only dreamt of. Also, she was not bound to the responsibilities of children, which meant that her TIME was more in her hands. I guess I am just suggesting that it may require something more than the average life to produce great, lasting works of literature. Overall, your piece was interesting and I liked reading it : )
I agree, as well.
Personally, when I am writing essays or papers for school, I like to move around a lot -- work a little in the library, a little in my room, maybe a little in the Student Center, or a little by the lake. I find that my mood changes with my setting, and it makes for a variety of different perspectives for my paper.
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